One’s intellect can be boosted by several factors so we can’t entirely attribute their knowledge to academic credentials. To a greater extent, academic credentials are in most cases a mere requirement in the employment world although it’s also gradually changing! 

There are people who have never seen a blackboard but have extremely creative minds. I don’t want to sound like I’m watering down the role of education in one’s life but it’s not right to say that academic credentials guarantee intellect. 

I have had arguments regarding matters of life with people considered to be highly educated and those that have never stepped in school and it is how they all look at the issue differently. The educated ones try to put too much effort to explain a simple thing while the uneducated reason with just logic. 

I had a chat with a ten year old child and asked him what he would ask for if he came across a genie bottle at the beach (I was basing it on the version of the "I grant you one wish” story). The child responded saying he would ask for more genie bottles so that he can make all the wishes he possibly can. Now that is intellect. But if you asked fresh university graduates, most of them will give you silly answers.

According to research made by Gian Fiero titled "The difference between being smart, educated and intelligent” published on academia online was addressing these questions: What’s the difference between being highly educated and highly intelligent? Does being highly educated automatically make you highly intelligent? Can one be highly intelligent without being highly educated?

He stated that both nature and nurture are equally as important and must be fully observed in the intellectual development of all children. The author further shows that with age, differences among individuals in their developed intelligence come to mirror more closely their genetic differences. It appears that the effects of environment on intelligence fade rather than grow with time. 

That said, intellect can’t only be for those who were privileged to see the inside of a classroom. It can be acquired by anyone because there are other factors considered and so much to learn from outside the classroom.